Canal Days delivers fun
Thousands of people from across North America filled Port Colborne during the long weekend for the 39th annual Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival.
Despite a rainy start Friday and Saturday, the sun made an appearance and the activities carried on. And there was something for everyone during the four-day festival.
For nine-year-old Port Colborne boy Armando Inclima, the vendors were his favourite part of the affair. He said although he enjoys all the Canal Day activities, he particularly likes trying various foods vendors along West Street.
“We come here for the experience and the fun. I like the fried dough and the corn on the cob,” he said after biting down on some fresh niblets.
His mother Kelly Rankin agreed with her son, saying there’s a great selection of vendors during Canal Days. She said she comes every year to buy a piece of jewlery and makes sure to stop by the jewlery booth Amber Ela.
There were 102 vendors in attendance during the weekend, which city staff said is an increase from last year.
Mayor John Maloney said the festival continues to grow because it’s a fun event. He said what also adds to the success is that there are many free or cheap activities for families to enjoy.
He said that over the civic holiday weekend, the city hosted about 400,000 visitors.
Vendors were also at Vale Health and Wellness Centre as part of the Canal Days craft show. About 55 vendors were selling such items as photographs and woodwork art.
Sue Brown, past-president of the host Port Colborne Optimist Club, said attendance at the show this year was up. She said she thinks the increase had a little to do with the weather, which was rainy the first day, but she said a greater investment was made in advertising this year, so that might have made an impact as well.
Another crowd-pleaser was the car show Sunday at H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park. Hundreds of vehicles, from vintage to modern, filled the park for thousands of eventgoers.
Rick Martineau and his wife Gwen Martineau travelled from Caistor Centre to check out the various vehicles. Rick said they try to come every year and have attended for the past six years or so.
“It’s a fun place with nice, good music and good vehicles. It’s great for car guys and for the kids,” he said.
City staff said there were about 800 vehicles registered for the car show.
“I’d suggest it to people even if they aren’t into cars,” Gwen said.
Behind the popular car show the sky was filled with dazzling kites of all shapes, including one that resembled a Transformer character. Although the Canal Days kite festival was held on Saturday, kiters enjoyed taking advantage of the windy day Sunday.
“They fly these kites to music and they can literally make these kites dance,” Maloney said. “They swoop down like a bird a few feet off the ground and next thing you know they are high, high in the sky wowing the crowd.”
Saturday, eventgoers had opportunity to make their own kites with the help of volunteers.
The festival’s musical lineup was headlined by The Headstones Friday night and Big Sugar Saturday night.
Sunday evening the much anticipated Boat Parade of Lights along the Welland Canal started about 9:30 p.m. Spectators were captivated by brightly lit up boats illuminating the Welland Canal.
Shortly after the parade, the evening ended with a spectacular bang with the annual fireworks display.